Azure security baseline for Container Instances
This security baseline applies guidance from the Microsoft cloud security benchmark version 1.0 to Container Instances. The Microsoft cloud security benchmark provides recommendations on how you can secure your cloud solutions on Azure. The content is grouped by the security controls defined by the Microsoft cloud security benchmark and the related guidance applicable to Container Instances.
You can monitor this security baseline and its recommendations using Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Azure Policy definitions will be listed in the Regulatory Compliance section of the Microsoft Defender for Cloud portal page.
When a feature has relevant Azure Policy Definitions, they are listed in this baseline to help you measure compliance with the Microsoft cloud security benchmark controls and recommendations. Some recommendations may require a paid Microsoft Defender plan to enable certain security scenarios.
Note
Features not applicable to Container Instances have been excluded. To see how Container Instances completely maps to the Microsoft cloud security benchmark, see the full Container Instances security baseline mapping file.
Security profile
The security profile summarizes high-impact behaviors of Container Instances, which may result in increased security considerations.
Service Behavior Attribute | Value |
---|---|
Product Category | Compute, Containers |
Customer can access HOST / OS | No Access |
Service can be deployed into customer's virtual network | True |
Stores customer content at rest | False |
Network security
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Network security.
NS-1: Establish network segmentation boundaries
Features
Virtual Network Integration
Description: Service supports deployment into customer's private Virtual Network (VNet). Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: Deploy the service into a virtual network. Assign private IPs to the resource (where applicable) unless there is a strong reason to assign public IPs directly to the resource.
Reference: Deploy container instances into Virtual Network
Network Security Group Support
Description: Service network traffic respects Network Security Groups rule assignment on its subnets. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: Use NSG rules to control container access to subnets or other network resources
Note: Placing an Azure Load Balancer in front of container instances in a networked container group is not supported.
NS-2: Secure cloud services with network controls
Features
Azure Private Link
Description: Service native IP filtering capability for filtering network traffic (not to be confused with NSG or Azure Firewall). Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
Disable Public Network Access
Description: Service supports disabling public network access either through using service-level IP ACL filtering rule (not NSG or Azure Firewall) or using a 'Disable Public Network Access' toggle switch. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
Identity management
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Identity management.
IM-1: Use centralized identity and authentication system
Features
Azure AD Authentication Required for Data Plane Access
Description: Service supports using Azure AD authentication for data plane access. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Feature notes: Customer can create use or system assigned Managed identity to securely access resources in ARM
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
Local Authentication Methods for Data Plane Access
Description: Local authentications methods supported for data plane access, such as a local username and password. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
IM-3: Manage application identities securely and automatically
Features
Managed Identities
Description: Data plane actions support authentication using managed identities. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: Use managed identities for Azure resources to run code in Azure Container Instances that interacts with other Azure services - without maintaining any secrets or credentials in code. The feature provides an Azure Container Instances deployment with an automatically managed identity in Azure Active Directory.
Reference: How to Use Managed Identitites with Azure Container Instances
Service Principals
Description: Data plane supports authentication using service principals. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
IM-7: Restrict resource access based on conditions
Features
Conditional Access for Data Plane
Description: Data plane access can be controlled using Azure AD Conditional Access Policies. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: There is no current Microsoft guidance for this feature configuration. Please review and determine if your organization wants to configure this security feature.
IM-8: Restrict the exposure of credential and secrets
Features
Service Credential and Secrets Support Integration and Storage in Azure Key Vault
Description: Data plane supports native use of Azure Key Vault for credential and secrets store. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
Privileged access
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Privileged access.
PA-7: Follow just enough administration (least privilege) principle
Features
Azure RBAC for Data Plane
Description: Azure Role-Based Access Control (Azure RBAC) can be used to managed access to service's data plane actions. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: If using a cloud-based private registry like Azure Container Registry with Azure Container Instances, use Azure role-based access control (Azure RBAC) manage access to data and resources in an Azure container registry.
Reference: Security recommendations for Azure Container Instances
PA-8: Determine access process for cloud provider support
Features
Customer Lockbox
Description: Customer Lockbox can be used for Microsoft support access. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
Data protection
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Data protection.
DP-4: Enable data at rest encryption by default
Features
Data at Rest Encryption Using Platform Keys
Description: Data at-rest encryption using platform keys is supported, any customer content at rest is encrypted with these Microsoft managed keys. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Microsoft |
Configuration Guidance: Enable data at rest encryption using platform managed (Microsoft managed) keys where not automatically configured by the service.
Reference: Azure Container Instances - encrypt deployment data
DP-5: Use customer-managed key option in data at rest encryption when required
Features
Data at Rest Encryption Using CMK
Description: Data at-rest encryption using customer-managed keys is supported for customer content stored by the service. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: If required for regulatory compliance, define the use case and service scope where encryption using customer-managed keys are needed. Enable and implement data at rest encryption using customer-managed key for those services.
Reference: Azure Container Instances - encrypt deployment data
DP-6: Use a secure key management process
Features
Key Management in Azure Key Vault
Description: The service supports Azure Key Vault integration for any customer keys, secrets, or certificates. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: Use Azure Key Vault to create and control the lifecycle of your encryption keys used for the customer-managed key-based encryption for your container instance.
Reference: Create a Key Vault resource
DP-7: Use a secure certificate management process
Features
Certificate Management in Azure Key Vault
Description: The service supports Azure Key Vault integration for any customer certificates. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
Asset management
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Asset management.
AM-2: Use only approved services
Features
Azure Policy Support
Description: Service configurations can be monitored and enforced via Azure Policy. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Feature notes: Azure Container Instances supports configuring policy for 2 features (CMK and deployments in private virtual network)
Configuration Guidance: Use Microsoft Defender for Cloud to configure Azure Policy to audit and enforce configurations of your Azure resources. Use Azure Monitor to create alerts when there is a configuration deviation detected on the resources. Use Azure Policy [deny] and [deploy if not exists] effects to enforce secure configuration across Azure resources.
Reference: Azure Policy built-in definitions for Azure Container Instances
Logging and threat detection
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Logging and threat detection.
LT-4: Enable logging for security investigation
Features
Azure Resource Logs
Description: Service produces resource logs that can provide enhanced service-specific metrics and logging. The customer can configure these resource logs and send them to their own data sink like a storage account or log analytics workspace. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: Log Analytics workspaces provide a centralized location for storing and querying log data not only from Azure resources, but also on-premises resources and resources in other clouds. Azure Container Instances includes built-in support for sending logs and event data to Azure Monitor logs.
Reference: Container group and instance logging with Azure Monitor logs
Backup and recovery
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Backup and recovery.
BR-1: Ensure regular automated backups
Features
Azure Backup
Description: The service can be backed up by the Azure Backup service. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Feature notes: ACI is recommended for stateless applications and we do not offer backup service. Customer can opt for regions which support AZ support to back their deployments in same region. For cross-region, they need to design backup and disaster recovery solution by deploying their apps in ACI in multiple regions and route traffic using traffic manager to handle disaster recovery use cases.
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
Service Native Backup Capability
Description: Service supports its own native backup capability (if not using Azure Backup). Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
Next steps
- See the Microsoft cloud security benchmark overview
- Learn more about Azure security baselines